Job allocation to be a tough act for BJP chief

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi addressing on second day of BJP National Council meeting in New Delhi. PTI Photo

BJP president Rajnath Singh’s next big challenge will be to allot work areas to his new team that is supposed to prepare the party for the 2014 polls.

Key challenges for BJP are at least 10 states, including Uttar Pradesh, where the party has to reach the grass roots.

Almost 70% of leaders who made it to his team are below the age of 50, and senior leaders who were among the office-bearers have been accommodated only in the BJP national executive.

Singh has entrusted the task to Ramlal, who is from the RSS and handled the party’s organisational set-up as general secretary.

All eyes are on roles that will be assigned for leaders like Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s close aide and former minister Amit Shah, Varun Gandhi and Muralidhar Rao -- all new entrants to the post of general secretary.

Also, since Singh didn’t appoint any woman among his 10 general secretaries, the most important party position after the central parliamentary board of the BJP, the focus is on areas that will be assigned to women leaders who are among the 13 vice-presidents.

Topping that list is once firebrand leader and ex-MP chief minister Uma Bharti, who has made a comeback, former Punjab health minister Laxmikanta Chawla, Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Smriti Irani, whose is close to Modi and Kiran Maheshwari from Rajasthan, a Vasundhara Raje loyalist who is close to Ramlal and Sushma Swaraj.

Singh has already given the charge of BJP’s women wing to Durg Lok Sabha MP Saroj Pande. That role was earlier performed by Irani. Singh will have to find suitable roles for 8 of the 14 secretaries who are women.

Just as Singh held numerous rounds of consultations with senior leaders to fill the 40 posts of vice-presidents, general secretaries, and joint general secretaries, he is expected to undertake even greater diligence in giving specific assignments for them.